PoliWood (2009)

An in-depth look at the Democratic and Republican national conventions held during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election year.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Stars:

Richard Abramowitz, Stephen Baldwin, Annette Bening

Cast

Credited cast:
Richard Abramowitz	...	Himself
Stephen Baldwin	...	Himself
Annette Bening	...	Herself
Ellen Burstyn	...	Herself
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Herself
David Crosby	...	Himself
Alan Cumming	...	Himself
Tim Daly	...	Himself
Charlie Daniels	...	Himself
Robert Davi	...	Himself
Dana Delany	...	Herself
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Himself
Tom Fontana	...	Himself
Danny Glover	...	Himself
Anne Hathaway	...	Herself

Storyline

An in-depth look at the Democratic and Republican national conventions held during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election year.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baltimore Pictures, The Creative Coalition

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A Film With Prerequisites

This documentary was phenomenal. from start to finish, Barry Levinson shows a comprehensive look at what the political process has become, how it got that way, and how the "well known" status has influenced it, for better, and for worse.

this movie is not independently about the liberal media, it is not independently about the conservative right, it is not independently about celebrities, politicians, appeal, communication, dialog, it is not about telling you what to think. In a day and age where Michael Moore seems to have ruined the playing field for politically themed documentaries, this film returns credit to the scene. it is bipartisan, it is representative of both sides of the spectrum, and it almost seems to attempt to unite the two sides in healthy dialog.

i don't like people that come on IMDb.com and generalize and project, people that say "if you don't like this movie then you're an idiot" or something to that effect, but with that said, i feel like not liking or at least appreciating what this film is trying to accomplish means you're politics and thought process have fallen victim to the games MSNBC and FoxNews are playing with you.

there are equal minutes for both sides and some of the most accomplishing moments come from "hollywood elitist" types engaging in a gut-wrenchingly powerful conversation with people at the RNC. At the conclusion of the RNC portion, my jaw was dropped and i almost felt like standing up and applauding.

the aforementioned prerequisites for watching this film are that you go into without bias. i don't care if you've voted straight ticket democrat, or want Obama out of office, or don't like war, or are for the end of abortion, whatever your politics may be, THROW THEM OUT before you watch this. Poliwood will not "Michael Moore" you with skewed facts, it will not fox news you with slanted opinion or fact. it will present a case for getting this country back in the right direction, it will challenge you to do your own research before you open your mouth, it will show you humility and understanding from the common man to the A-list celebrity.

but most importantly it will show you that this government is now, always has been, and always will be the best option for our country, the democratic process and way of life is a luxury, and the freedom to speak and do as we please comes with great responsibility. i think this film is trying to hold us accountable to our obligation as Americans to BE INFORMED, to BE EDUCATED, to BE UNDERSTANDING, and to BE FAIR.

what is right for me here in Texas, may not be what's right for you in North Carolina, but we can have an open dialog to better understand each other, as opposed to letting what conservative and liberal talking heads say speak for us.

so cast your political bias aside, this movie is not aiming to change what your politics are, it's aiming to change the kind of person you are. it promotes tolerance and the responsibility to educate yourself. and it's got some entertaining and funny moments to boot. a truly great film, and i'm glad i had the pleasure of watching it, and hope you get the chance too.